Just months after American Greetings announced a new investor would take majority ownership, some employees of the Westlake-based company will be laid off as the company goes through a restructuring process.
According to a company spokesperson, the American Greetings Creative Studio will reduce its staff to "ensure the ongoing success of the company." The layoffs will come from various departments housed at the Crocker Park world headquarters.
The number of layoffs was not announced. Additional reductions may occur at company production facilities later this summer, the company said.
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Some employees have opted to take an early retirement, according to American Greetings.
"The company is committed to treating all of its associates with respect and compassion, offering severance pay and outplacement assistance. These actions, which included a voluntary early retirement program, will allow us to be appropriately staffed for the foreseeable future," the spokespersons said.
The decision to reduce current staffing levels was brought on by the changes in the "current retail marketplace," according to the spokesperson.
American Greetings announced its plan to relocate its world headquarters to Westlake in 2014. According to the SEC, they purchased 14 acres of land at the south end of the Crocker Park Development site for $7.4 million, and completed construction on the two Creative Studios Buildings in 2017.
